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There are more than 7,200 magazines published in the United States, and nearly all of them pay for approved submissions. In fact, they often pay significantly more than every other type of writing work. It’s not uncommon to earn $0.50 to $1.00 per word for a magazine article, and I have friends who regularly rake in $500 to $1000 per submission.
The downside is that magazines are notoriously slow for paying writers. When I was published in Teen Ink, it took around 6 months to receive my check. Other magazines often take 3 to 6 months to pay writers, and some wait until after publication. That means you might wait a year or longer to get your money — if the magazine actually keeps its word and publishes your work.
If you want to avoid working for free, make sure you pitch magazines that offer a kill fee. A kill fee is a payment you receive if your piece doesn’t get published. It’s usually not as high as the rate you were promised for publication, but it shows the magazine values your time enough to give you something.
There are some shady publications out there, though — so be careful. To protect yourself, get payment details in writing before you submit a fully written piece, and Google payment details before you commit to an article or column. Most editors accept pitches with a brief summary of your proposed…
